The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
An assembly of the generic type is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,059 B1 or US 2002/0171231 A1. Here, the housing which accommodates the airbag is located on the inner side of a lower section of the instrument panel and is rigidly fixed to this. The exit opening of the housing for the airbag here lies opposite the knee-shin area of the vehicle occupant to be protected, in other words of the driver or the passenger, and is basically parallel to the surface of the instrument panel. In case of operation, the knee airbag is inflated between the instrument panel and the knee-shin area of the vehicle occupant to be protected. The knee airbag serves primarily to prevent the forward movement of the pelvis of a vehicle occupant, in particular of a vehicle occupant who is not wearing a seat belt, from being displaced forwards in case of a frontal collision.